1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a design of an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In internal combustion engines at least one piston is mounted for reciprocation within a cylinder head. The cylinder head defines a cylinder having a blind end at which fuel is compressed. Inlet and exhaust valves are located in communication with the cylinder and an ignition mechanism, such as a spark plug, is located at the blind end of the cylinder. The piston is coupled to a crankshaft by means of a piston rod which turns the crankshaft when the piston is propelled away from the blind end of the cylinder and toward the crankshaft.
Power is applied to the piston by the pressure exerted from the expanding products of combustion of a vaporized fuel in the cylinder and the blind end thereatop of the internal combustion engine. Prior to ignition, the vaporized fuel is compressed by the piston moving upwardly through the cylinder and into the blind end. As the piston approaches the end of its compression stroke the vaporized fuel is ignited in the presence of oxygen, creating combustion. The products of combustion tend to expand rapidly, thereby exerting a considerable force pushing the piston away from the blind end of the cylinder and toward the engine crankshaft. The force exerted on the piston is transferred to the piston rod, which is coupled to the crankshaft at a rotatable coupling displaced from the axis of the crankshaft. Once the piston reaches its closest approach to the crankshaft, remote from the blind end of the cylinder, it reverses its direction of movement and again approaches the blind end of the cylinder, exhausting the spent, expanded gases and vapors of combustion through a port theretofore blocked by an exhaust valve.
As the piston advances in the cylinder toward the blind end thereof, the exhaust valve is closed and an inlet valve is opened to admit uncombusted fuel and air. The inlet valve is open for only a short time to admit fuel, and then is closed. As the piston reaches its point of closest approach to the blind end of the cylinder at the termination of the compression stroke, the new charge of fuel is ignited and the cycle is repeated recurrently.
Various piston and cylinder head configurations have been designed to attempt to maximize the transfer of power from the fuel as it burns and to minimize the amount of fuel required to operate the internal combustion engine. However, none of the prior piston and cylinder head designs has employed the unique configuration of applicant's invention, nor the principle of operation thereof.